Seoul South Korea
Work: The Ministry of Labor in Korea has implemented a system in which all workers who do not miss a day of work in one week receive one paid holiday. Employees who do not miss a day of work in a full year are entitled to a 15-day paid vacation. Those who do miss days of work should expect a reduction in paid leave time. After the first year of work with a company, every two subsequent years translates into another paid holiday.
Koreans use both the Solar and Lunar calendar which results in a number of holidays. There are 15 national holidays and most of them are observed by the majority of offices and businesses. These are: January 1st and 2nd: New Year's Day March 1: Independence Movement Day April 5: Arbor Day April 8: Buddha's Birthday (Seokka Tanshin-il) May 5: Children's Day June 6: Memorial Day July 17: Constitution Day August 14-16: Harvest Moon Festival (Chuesok) August 15: Liberation Day October 3: Foundation Day December 25: Christmas Day December 31-January 2nd: New Year's (Seol-nal) The country uses one time zone and is 9 hours ahead of us. Most Koreans work Monday through Friday and then half a day on Saturday mornings. Usual business hours are 9:00-6:00 during the week and 9:00-1:00 on Saturday. During holidays, government offices and most businesses are closed, although many private store keepers and large department stores may remain open Housing: As for foreign housing, rental payments are extremely high, one might even say, excessively high, for western-style amenities either in houses or apartments, especially given their quality and size. Foreign residents can expect to pay significantly more than a Korean would regardless of the type of housing. That said, an expat whose accommodations are not paid for by a corporation can find affordable and attractive, albeit usually small, accommodations in various areas of the city. Education: In Korea, the literacy rate is
Koreans use both the Solar and Lunar calendar which results in a number of holidays. There are 15 national holidays and most of them are observed by the majority of offices and businesses. These are: January 1st and 2nd: New Year's Day March 1: Independence Movement Day April 5: Arbor Day April 8: Buddha's Birthday (Seokka Tanshin-il) May 5: Children's Day June 6: Memorial Day July 17: Constitution Day August 14-16: Harvest Moon Festival (Chuesok) August 15: Liberation Day October 3: Foundation Day December 25: Christmas Day December 31-January 2nd: New Year's (Seol-nal) The country uses one time zone and is 9 hours ahead of us. Most Koreans work Monday through Friday and then half a day on Saturday mornings. Usual business hours are 9:00-6:00 during the week and 9:00-1:00 on Saturday. During holidays, government offices and most businesses are closed, although many private store keepers and large department stores may remain open Housing: As for foreign housing, rental payments are extremely high, one might even say, excessively high, for western-style amenities either in houses or apartments, especially given their quality and size. Foreign residents can expect to pay significantly more than a Korean would regardless of the type of housing. That said, an expat whose accommodations are not paid for by a corporation can find affordable and attractive, albeit usually small, accommodations in various areas of the city. Education: In Korea, the literacy rate is